The present invention relates to a spool braking force switching device for a fishing reel, and particularly to an improvement of a spool braking force switching device for a fishing reel in which a clutch switching mechanism capable of selectively controlling the rotation of the spool shaft is mounted at the rear portion of the reel body having front and rear drag mechanisms so that the spool shaft can be rotated smoothly when the fishline is released, while braking force is exerted to the rotation of spool shaft in case of winding up the fishline, thereby enhancing the fishing efficiency.
The spinning reel that is used in general is provided with a drag mechanism capable of controlling the rotation of the spool with frictional resistance.
However, since the drawing resistance of a preadjusted drag mechanism is constantly exerted to the fishline drawn out of the spool, when a fish bites a hook, the fishline can not be smoothly unwound even if a force that a fish pulls is exerted to the fishline. Thus, the fish will sense something different and release the bait instantly. As a result, the efficiency of fishing is extremely reduced.
On the other hand, once the spool is adjusted to be freely rotated to alleviate this problem, the rotation of the spool can not be controlled adequately to pull in a fish caught at the hook, and the drag mechanism should necessarily be controlled again. Thus, the braking force exerted to the spool should be manually switched and controlled by handling the drag mechanism every time in accordance with each condition.
Shown in FIG. 5, a spool braking force switching device of a spinning reel wherein the fishline can be smoothly drawn at the same time and the rotation of the spool can be automatically controlled when rewinding the fishline so that the fish can be hooked speedily and easily, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,077 to Toda. This device comprises a main gear 3 fixed to a reel body 1 with a shaft 2, contacting means 5 for operating by contacting to a kick plate 4 of said main gear 3, an operating means 8 provided between said contacting means 5 and a lever shaft 7 of handling lever 6; and which operates such that when the kick pin 4 makes said contacting means 5 to operate by the driving of said main gear 3 according to the handling of rotating a handle (not shown), said operating means 8 and interlocking means 9 are cooperatively moved so that the handling lever 6 is returned from the handling position of free rotation of spool to the stop state.
However, since such a conventional spool braking force switching device is made with complicated construction using a large quantity of parts, there has been some disadvantage that cost of parts is increased, and since the parts such as contacting means 5 and operating means 8 are coupled integrally as one assembly, the entire assembly would have to be replaced in the case when one part is damaged. The contacting means 5 is made with a complicated shape formed with an elongated hole 5a inserted into a supporting shaft 11 of fixing member 10, first contacting portion 5b for contacting the kick pin 4, second contacting portion 5c for contacting a push up pin 8b of operating means 8, elongated hole 8a which is made with complicated shape formed with spring receiving means 5d as well as said operating means 8 being coupled to supporting shaft 15 of fixing member 10, and push up pin 8b and defining pin 8c. Thus, there has been a disadvantage that processing of the parts is difficult and precise work is required for manufacturing its metal mold.
Further, in the conventional spool braking force switching device, fixing member 10 occupies a large fixing area. In order to disassemble the main gear 3 in case of repair, the main gear 3 must be disassembled after the fixing member 10, and therefore, efficiency of the assembling and disassembling work of main gear 3 has been reduced.